1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an apparatus for assembling an anti-vibrating device of a liquid-filled type principally used as a vehicular body mount or engine mount or the like.
2. Related Art
A liquid-filled-type anti-vibration device A, for example, as shown in FIG. 11 has been developed as a body mount to be interposed between a vehicular body and a frame such as a suspension on a support side to support the body in an anti-vibrating fashion.
This anti-vibration device A has an inner cylinder 1 made of a comparatively thick-walled metal to be coupled and fixed to one of the vehicular body and the frame on the suspension side and an outer cylinder 2 made of a metal to be coupled and fixed to the other. The inner and outer cylinders 1, 2 are joined through a rubber elastic member 3 vulcanization-bonded to an outer periphery of the inner cylinder 1 and an intermediate cylinder 4 fitted at an inner side of the outer cylinder. Furthermore, two liquid chambers 5a, 5b are provided between the inner and outer cylinder 1, 2 in locations opposed to each other sandwiching the inner cylinder 1. These liquid chambers 5a, 5b are in mutual communication through an orifice passage 6, thus obtaining a vibration damping effect due to an effect of liquid flow between the chambers.
The foregoing intermediate cylinder 4 is vulcanization-bonded to the outer periphery of the rubber elastic member 3. The intermediate cylinder 4 has at one end an outwardly directed flange 4a and opened in a window form in the position corresponding to the chambers 5a, 5b, and press-fitted to the inner side of the outer cylinder 3 through a sealing rubber layer 7 and fitted airtight, thereby forming the liquid chamber 5a, 5b between the cylinders 1, 2.
Furthermore, the outer cylinder 2 has a flange 2a bent to an outer side with which the flange 4a of the intermediate cylinder 4 contacts. The flange 2a has an end 2b caulked inside and fixed in a manner wrapping from an outside an end edge of the flange 4a of the intermediate cylinder 4, thereby firmly holding the fit state.
In the manufacture of the anti-vibration device A structured as above, previously prepared is an internal unit A1 integrated with an inner cylinder 1 and an intermediate cylinder 4 through a rubber elastic member 3 by vulcanization-forming the rubber elastic member 3. Separately from this, previously formed is an outer cylinder 2 having at one end a flange 2a and bent at the end 2b thereof to an axial direction as the chain line of FIG. 11.
In an assembling process, in a liquid tank filled with a liquid such as ethylene glycol to be charged in the internal liquid chambers 5a, 5b, the internal unit A1 is press-fitted into the outer cylinder 2 in a direction from the flange 2a while discharging interior air, thereby bringing the flange 4a of the intermediate cylinder 4 into contact with the flange 2a of the outer cylinder 2. Furthermore, in this state, the flange 2a of the outer cylinder 2 is caulked to be bent inward, thus completing the assembling.
In this assembling, conventionally the caulking at the flange end of the outer cylinder 2 has been made by a oncebending process. In this case, because the end 2b of the flange 2a of the outer cylinder 2 is bent inward by once caulking to an inward that is in generally a rectangular direction from the axial direction of the outer cylinder, the bend angle amounts to 90 degrees or greater and the deformation amount is large. There has been a possibility that the bend portion buckles readily causing cracking and breakage. Consequently, there has been a setback to reducing the product durability and quality and further yield of manufacture.
It is an object of the present invention to provide, as principally an assembling apparatus for a liquid-filled-type anti-vibration device, an assembling apparatus which can caulk an end edge of an outer cylinder while suppressing occurrence of buckling without causing crack or breakage, thereby improving the endurance and quality of an anti-vibration device to be assembled and further improving manufacture yield.
An apparatus for assembling an anti-vibration device of the present invention has an inner cylinder, an outer cylinder arranged outward of the inner cylinder, a rubber elastic member arranged between the inner and outer cylinders, an intermediate cylinder fitted inward of the outer cylinder, and a liquid chamber formed in an interior of the rubber elastic member, the anti-vibration device assembling apparatus comprising: a press-fit device for press-fitting an internal unit united with an inner cylinder and an intermediate cylinder through a rubber elastic member to an outer cylinder within a liquid tank; a caulking device for caulking an axial one end of the outer cylinder of an assembly completed of press-fitting; and transport means for transporting the assembly from the press-fit device to the caulking device; wherein the caulking device being provided to allow two stages of caulking by first and second two kinds of caulking dies including caulking to bend an end of the outer cylinder of the assembly by a predetermined angle less than 90 degrees and caulking to further bend the end of the outer cylinder already bent to a certain degree into a predetermined caulking form.
According to this assembling apparatus, an internal unit united with an internal cylinder and an intermediate cylinder through a rubber elastic member and an outer cylinder are supplied to the press-fit device to press-fit the internal unit to the outer cylinder within a liquid tank. An assembly thus completed in press-fitting is transported by proper transport means from the press-fit device to the caulking device to carry out caulking. On this occasion, a first-staged caulking is made by the first caulking die to bend an end of the outer cylinder of the assembly by a predetermined angle less than 90 degrees. Next, second-staged caulking is made by the second caulking die to bend furthermore the one end of the outer cylinder already bent to a certain degree and finally form it into a predetermined caulking form.
In this manner, when caulking one end of the outer cylinder, predetermined caulking is completed to a bend angle of about 90 degrees or greater by two-staged caulking with the first caulking die and second caulking die.
Due to this, as compared to the conventional case of once caulking to a predetermined angle, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of damage, such as cracks, and hence improve the endurance and quality of the anti-vibration device manufactured. Also, prevention is made against occurrence of cracks due to bending in caulking, the manufacture yield of the anti-vibration device is by far improved.
The caulking device may comprise a caulking lower die for supporting the assembly with the axial one end to be caulked positioned up, and first and second caulking dies vertically movably supported in the above of the lower die, the first caulking die for applying a first stage of caulking to the axial one end of said outer cylinder of said assembly supported in said lower die, and said second caulking die for applying a second stage of caulking to the one end in order for further bending into a predetermined form.
According to this caulking device, the assembly completed in press-fit in the press-fit device is supported in the caulking lower die with the axial end positioned up. In this state, the first caulking die is first descended relative to the lower die and first-staged caulking is made to bend the axial end of the outer cylinder of the assembly by a required predetermined angle less than 90 degrees. Next, the second caulking die is descended relative to the lower die and the one end of the outer cylinder somewhat bent as above is further bent into a predetermined form. This makes it possible to caulk the one end of the outer cylinder in two stages while holding it in the same support position, thereby suppressing the occurrence of buckling in the bend portion.
In the assembling apparatus of the invention, the first caulking die and second caulking die in the above of the lower die are movably provided in a transverse direction to an axis thereof and alternately oppositely positioned to the lower die.
Due to this, the first caulking die is previously positioned oppositely above the lower die. Due to the descend action of it, a first stage of caulking is made to the axial one end of the outer cylinder of the assembly supported in the lower die. Next, alternately to the first caulking die, the second caulking die is positioned oppositely above the lower die whereby the descend action of it can make a second stage of caulking. Accordingly, it is possible to automatically carry out caulking to a predetermined angle due to bending twice without the intervention of an operator, improving by far operationality.
In the assembling apparatus, the caulking lower die preferably has, in an axis portion, a support pin vertically movable to fit with and support the inner cylinder of the assembly, and first and second caulking dies have, in respective lower axis portions, pins to fit in an upper potion of an inner cylinder of the assembly due to descend action. Due to this, during caulking, the assembly completed in press-fit can be formed in the state that the inner cylinder is held at axial portion by the vertically fit pin and support pin. This can provide caulk-fixing evenly over the entire periphery without deviation.
Also, the transport means of the assembling apparatus may comprise an arm of a robot having, at a tip, clamp means to grip the internal unit and the assembly to carry out supply of the internal unit to the press-fit device, transport of the assembly completed of press-fitting from the press-fit device to the caulking device and taking the assembly completed of caulking out of the caulking device, in a manner related to press-fit and caulking action. This can automate and enhance the efficiency of a series of operations in assembling an anti-vibration device and caulking.